Killing Floor: Complete Survival Guide

A guide to the original Killing Floor (2009): the seven perks, every specimen and how to kill it, trader and weight management, team composition, and how to beat the Patriarch, from Beginner up to Hell on Earth.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final security update, build 1065 (April 2016). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status note: Tripwire's last update to Killing Floor was the KF 1065 security update on 19 April 2016. The game still has community servers (many modded) and Steam Workshop content. Killing Floor 2 (2016) and Killing Floor 3 are the modern sequels, but KF1 is still played by people who prefer its slower, more punishing style. Solo mode works offline.

Quick Start

Choose a perk before the match. Perks level up permanently by doing that perk's job (headshots with rifles, healing teammates, welding, damage with a weapon type). Higher levels give big bonuses and trader discounts.
Headshots matter. Many specimens die much faster from headshots, and decapitated enemies are harmless for a moment.
Watch your weight. You can only carry a limited weight of weapons. Big guns take up a lot.
Get to the trader between waves. After a wave, an arrow points to the active trader. Buy ammo, armor and weapons before the next wave starts.
Don't shoot the Fleshpound unless you can kill it. Damaging it without killing it makes it rage and charge.
Kill Sirens and Husks first. The Siren's scream hurts through armor, and the Husk's fireballs do big ranged damage.
Stay with your team. Wandering off alone is the main way people die in KF.
Weld doors to control the flow. Welded doors force specimens down other routes and buy time.

Game Setup

Setting	Options
Difficulty	Beginner, Normal, Hard, Suicidal, Hell on Earth
Game length	Short (4 waves), Medium (7) or Long (10), each followed by a Patriarch boss wave. Server admins can also configure custom wave counts and specimen mixes
Players	Up to 6 in co-op, plus a solo mode
Modes	Standard survival, and Objective Mode (added mid-2013) with goals to complete during waves

Higher difficulties give specimens more health and damage, and make Scrakes and Fleshpounds much more dangerous.

Dying and respawning

If you die, you respawn at the start of the next wave as long as at least one teammate survives the current wave. If the whole team goes down, the game is over. That shapes how you play:

The last survivor's job is to live, not to kill. Run laps, stay away from Fleshpounds, and let the wave timer work for you until the wave ends.
Dead players lose their gear. You come back with the starting loadout, so teammates should toss spare dosh to help them rebuy.
Don't take risky solo trips late in a wave. One more death can be the difference between a wipe and a recovery.

The Seven Perks

Perk	Weapons	What it does best	Levels by
Field Medic	Medic guns (MP7M and later medic weapons)	Healing, armor and survival	Healing teammates
Support Specialist	Shotguns (Shotgun, Hunting Shotgun, AA12 and more)	Welding, carrying more weight, and close-range damage	Welding and shotgun damage
Sharpshooter	9mm, Handcannon, Lever Action Rifle, Crossbow, M14 EBR	Headshot damage, killing big specimens	Headshots with perk weapons
Commando	Bullpup, AK47, SCAR MK17 and other assault rifles	Seeing Stalkers and specimen health, crowd control, and extending ZED Time	Stalker kills and assault rifle damage
Berserker	Knife, Machete, Fire Axe, Chainsaw, Katana, Claymore Sword, Scythe	Melee damage and damage resistance	Melee damage
Firebug	Flamethrower, MAC-10, Husk Gun, Trenchgun	Fire damage and fire resistance	Fire damage
Demolitions	M79, M32, LAW, Pipe Bombs, frag grenades	Explosive damage, especially against big specimens	Explosive damage

Bonuses scale with perk level, including discounts on perk weapons. A low-level perk mainly makes that weapon type cheaper and slightly better. Level 5 or 6 makes a huge difference on Suicidal and Hell on Earth.

Specimens (ZEDs)

Specimen	Threat	How to deal with it
Clot	Grabs and holds you in place	Easy kill, but don't let a group trap you
Gorefast	Charges with a blade arm	Headshot while it closes in
Crawler	Fast, low, jumping	Look down and use a shotgun or SMG
Stalker	Cloaked, hits hard in groups	Commandos can see them. Everyone else looks for the shimmer
Bloat	Vomits bile that damages and blinds you	Kill it at range. Don't melee it
Siren	Scream damages through armor and destroys projectiles	Kill it first. Headshots at range. Grenades thrown nearby get destroyed by the scream
Husk	Fires fireballs	High kill priority. Firebugs take less fire damage
Scrake	Chainsaw, high health, rages when badly hurt	Sharpshooter crossbow or rifle headshots, Demolitions explosives, or Berserker melee. Don't chip it with weak guns
Fleshpound	Rages and charges if it takes enough damage in a short time	Kill it with a big burst of damage (Sharpshooter headshots, Demolitions explosives). Never chip it. If it rages, run and let the team kill it
Patriarch	Final boss: chaingun, rockets, tentacle, cloaking, and healing	See below

Beating the Patriarch

He cloaks and moves around the map, so watch for the shimmer and listen.
When he's badly hurt, he retreats to heal himself (a limited number of times). Chase him and keep up damage while he heals.
His chaingun and rocket attacks punish open ground. Stand behind corners and fight him in rooms with cover.
Pipe bombs placed where he's likely to walk, plus explosive and headshot damage from Demolitions and Sharpshooter, are the fastest way to kill him.
Up close, his tentacle attack hits hard. Berserkers can tank it, but everyone else should keep their distance.

Trader, Dosh and Weight

Dosh: You earn money by killing specimens. Share dosh with teammates if they need a key weapon.
Trader: Between waves the trader opens. Check the arrow and plan your route.
Weight: Each weapon has a weight, and you have a limited capacity. Support Specialists get more. Pick your main weapon first, then fill the rest.
Armor: Buy it. It absorbs a big chunk of damage and is worth the dosh on every difficulty.
Sell back: You can sell weapons you don't need for part of their value.

A good trader routine

Refill ammo on your main weapon.
Buy or repair armor.
Upgrade your weapon if you can afford it.
Buy grenades.
Give extra dosh to teammates who need a key weapon.

Team Composition

Medic: At least one on every team, especially on Suicidal and Hell on Earth. Keeps everyone alive.
Sharpshooter or Demolitions: At least one, for Scrakes and Fleshpounds.
Support Specialist: Welds doors and deals with crowds.
Commando: Spots Stalkers and helps with trash.
Berserker: Tanks the front and holds chokepoints.
Firebug: Crowd control and area denial.

A common six-player setup: 1 or 2 Medics, 1 or 2 Sharpshooters or Demolitions, 1 Support, 1 Commando, 1 Berserker or Firebug. Adjust for your difficulty.

Positioning and Welding

Pick a spot with limited entrances. Hold a room or hallway where specimens have to come to you.
Weld doors to block extra entrances. Specimens will break welds eventually, so check the weld bar.
Don't get cornered. Keep a way out in case a Fleshpound rages.
Stay behind your frontline. Ranged perks behind melee and Support players.

ZED Time

Kills randomly trigger ZED Time, a slow-motion moment for everyone. Commandos can extend it with kills. Use it to line up headshots on Scrakes and Fleshpounds.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Chip-damaging a Fleshpound. Only shoot it when you can finish it quickly.
Shooting a Scrake with weak guns. It rages and hurts your team.
Playing without a Medic. Harder difficulties are close to impossible without healing.
Going to the trader alone late in the break. Get there early, buy, and get back.
Ignoring Sirens. Their scream bypasses armor and destroys grenades and pipe bombs.
Running out of ammo mid-wave. Always refill at the trader.
Meleeing Bloats. Their bile does damage and blinds you.

Advanced Tips

Stun Scrakes. A Sharpshooter crossbow or rifle headshot can stagger a Scrake, and Berserkers can stun it with heavy melee attacks.
Kill Fleshpounds with burst damage. A Sharpshooter's headshots with the Crossbow or M14, plus an M79 or M32 from a Demolitions, drops it fast.
Pre-place pipe bombs at chokepoints before boss waves.
Use Workshop and custom maps once you know the official ones. Servers often run custom maps and mutators.
Watch ZED time. Big specimens are much easier to kill during slow motion.

FAQ

Is Killing Floor still active? Community servers are still running, many with mods and custom maps. The last official update was 1065 in April 2016.

Which perk should I start with? Support Specialist or Commando are forgiving. Field Medic helps you learn how to play with a team. Sharpshooter is the most rewarding if your aim is good.

How do I level perks faster? Play your perk's role and use its weapons. Progress is based on stats like damage dealt, headshots and healing, so doing your job consistently is what counts. Community servers sometimes add perk mods, but those don't count toward official progression.

How do I beat Hell on Earth? A balanced team of high-level perks, good positioning, welding, and discipline about Fleshpounds and Scrakes.

Should I play KF1 or KF2? The sequels (KF2 and Killing Floor 3) are more modern and have bigger player bases. KF1 is slower and harder, and a lot of fans prefer its feel.